Tetra
Outline
TETRA is a focus and screen time management app for Gen Z and Millennials who know they're distracted — but can't stop on their own.
The average attention span has dropped from 150 seconds to just 47 seconds since 2004. 83% of Gen Z admits an unhealthy relationship with their phone. Yet usage keeps rising. This isn't a willpower problem. It's a design problem.
TETRA addresses this through three core systems.
Reduce. The Facedown Timer only runs when your phone is physically face-down. Pick it up, and it stops. Smart warnings and app blocking remove the temptation before it takes hold.
Replace. Blocking without substitution creates anxiety. When an app is blocked, TETRA immediately suggests an alternative — a quick workout, a saved article, a to-do task. The empty space gets filled before the urge wins.
Build. A 60-day streak calendar, personalized AI scheduling, and a progress dashboard make growth visible and addictive. Users track focused time versus wasted time, side by side — and share their wins on social media to stay accountable.
TETRA is not about eliminating your phone. It's about choosing when it controls you — and when you do.
Meet the Creative
Hyungjoon Kwon
Hyungjoon Kwon is a designer based in New York and Seoul, currently focusing on UI/UX that incorporates graphic design.
After graduating from an art university in Korea, he fulfilled his military service obligation as a "Designer Soldier." Through various experiences, including working for magazines like ELLE, he has gained a broad perspective on design. He is currently attending SVA (School of Visual Arts) in New York, where he continues his studies while earning multiple awards.
I see myself as a "Button Designer." This metaphor signifies the crucial role a button plays in any interface—it enables the user to make a selection. Furthermore, I connect my diverse experiences like different buttons to produce new and creative work. I act as a connecting "button" by analyzing user problems and necessary services and linking those needs directly to the design solution. Additionally, I integrate graphic and branding elements into UI/UX to create work with a strong visual emphasis.
Story
I worked as a designer in the military, and that's where I first learned what real, deep focus feels like. But when I came back to everyday life, I found myself holding my phone without even realizing it — even while designing. That feeling of shame is what started this project.
When I looked into it, I realized it wasn't just me.
The average attention span has dropped from 150 seconds in 2004 to just 47 seconds today. 83% of Gen Z knows they have an unhealthy relationship with their phone — but usage keeps rising. They know. They just can't stop. This isn't a willpower problem. The problem is that there's no tool that actually works.
Most screen time apps just block things. But blocking without replacing creates anxiety. Nothing fills the empty space. So people override the block, and the cycle continues.
TETRA was built on one simple idea — replace, don't just remove.
When Instagram gets blocked, TETRA doesn't just show a wall. It says — "How about five minutes of squats? Or that article you saved?" The empty space gets filled before the urge wins.
The Facedown Timer turns focus into a physical promise. When you place your phone face-down, the timer starts. Pick it up — it stops. And the 60-day project exists because real change takes time. The brain needs at least two months to build a new habit. TETRA makes that journey visible, day by day.
We're not trying to take your phone away. We just want to give you the choice back.
What We Did
Media
